


Time and Again

by rowofstars



Series: 31 Days of Ficmas 2017 [18]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 31 Days of Ficmas, Alternate Universe, Episode: 2017 Xmas Twice Upon a Time, F/F, F/M, Ficlet, Light Angst, Prompt Fic, Regeneration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 16:53:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13081161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowofstars/pseuds/rowofstars
Summary: Rose never left the Doctor and has been with him through all three of his regenerations. For the 31 Days of Ficmas prompt #20 - rosy cheeks.





	Time and Again

**Author's Note:**

> IDK man. I am so excited for Thirteen and I thought what if the short blonde hair is because the Doctor was thinking about Rose. Possible spoilers for the Christmas special if you have no idea at all what’s happening and have seen nothing.

Her cheeks are flushed and rosy, her breath coming in rapid little puffs of white as she bends over him in the snow. She touches his cheek, gently, her fingers leaving a trial of gold sparks behind as regeneration energy builds up inside him.

It’s time now; he can’t fight it any longer.

Bill is safe, Rose is safe, the timelines are safe - mostly. He’s done all he could once again, and it will have to be enough because soon he’ll be whole new him. They stumble into the TARDIS, the doors slamming closed behind them. He slumps to the floor as she moves around the console, so familiar with it now that she probably only need think where she wanted to be and the ship would take her there. The TARDIS whirs to life, glowing and flashing as time unravels around them and swallows them into the vortex.

“Doctor?” Rose’s voice trembles as she kneels down beside him. “ _Please._ ”

He smiles. She has loved him through three regenerations. She’s loved Amy and Rory and Bill, held their hands and fought for them right alongside him. She loved Clara most of all, they both did, the wound still smarting even now. She’s amazing and strong in ways he couldn’t have imagined, his pink and yellow girl, and he hopes she can still love him when this is over.

“Please come back to me,” she says, squeezing his hand one last time before she lets go and scrambles to her feet.

For a fleeting moment, as she gaze at him, fire flashing in her eyes as the Bad Wolf is pulled to the surface, he thinks it would be quite brilliant to be a little more like her this time. Younger, fresher, blonde again perhaps?

It’s the last thought he has and her face is the last thing he sees before everything is awash in light. It hurts and tears, pushes and pulls, and one second feels like infinity as everything rearranges itself.

The Doctor blinks it’s with new eyes and it’s all over.

“Rose?”

“Doctor?”

The Doctor looks down. The clothes and shoes are the same, but the hair, the body - oh.

“Well, that’s _different._ ”

They say it at the same time, and Rose grins, her head tilting to the side.

“Rose?” the Doctor says, taking a wobbly step. The voice that comes out is almost unrecognizable. “Am I -?” 

Rose looks up and down, taking in everything much as she has the last few times this has happened. It’s always different and frustrating, but exciting at the same time. She reaches out a hand as she moves closer. “You’re gonna need a new suit.”

“Is it - are we? Okay?”

Their fingers link together and with her free hand Rose reaches up to touch the new, blonde strands, then down along the softer curver of his jaw. (Hers? Theirs?) The thought is left to be sorted out later because Rose is looking up, her face flushed and rosy for a different reason.

“I love you, Doctor.”

And the Doctor smiles.


End file.
